Gold Sovereign 2019

Since The Royal Mint struck the first Sovereign in 1489, the gold coin has survived retirement, rebirth and reform to become a modern classic with a unique legacy. In 1819, the Ricardo Ingot Plan almost saw gold coins replaced by banknotes. A century later the First World War saw the use of gold coins as circulating currency reduce to such a degree that Sovereign production stopped in 1917. But the gold coin endured, now highly prized by collectors and eagerly awaited each year. Its story of survival and excellence now continues with The Sovereign 2019 Collection.

Discover Sovereign

The very first gold Sovereign was struck during Henry VII’s reign. On 28th October 1489, the king ordered the officers of his Royal Mint to produce “A new money of gold.”

Up to that point, gold coins had been in circulation for over a hundred years, so the Sovereign certainly wasn’t the first gold coin to be minted in England.

This large, handsome coin sent out a message of stability and prestige after the turmoil of the wars. Succeeding monarchs all chose to strike new versions of the Sovereign themselves, indicating their own power and strength. It wasn’t until the reign of James I, crowned King of England and Scotland in 1603, that the practice died out.

A Celebration of 65 Years

The celebratory mint mark that features on all coins in The Sovereign 2018 Collection was skilfully created by Royal Mint coin designers Natasha Preece and Joseph Melia. Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II, is the first British monarch to mark more than 65 years of service, making the addition of this particular mint mark to celebrate this achievement a minting first.

Size, style and placement had to be carefully considered to make sure the mark could be struck alongside Benedetto Pistrucci’s classic interpretation of St George and the dragon. After several iterations, the final design chosen represents the royal cypher crown with the numbers ‘65’ to mark the celebration of the 65th anniversary of Her Majesty’s coronation.

The crown is a classic symbol of royalty and makes a fitting choice for this historic moment in British royal history.

“The real challenge was working on such a small scale. We had to make sure that the fine detail of the crown and ‘65’ of the mint mark wasn’t lost when it was struck on the coin.”

Natasha Preece

Reign Supreme

Her Majesty The Queen, now the world’s longest reigning living monarch, is the first British monarch to mark more than 65 years of service. From a young queen and a fairy-tale coronation, to a pillar of strength in an ever-changing world, we have shared 65 years with Her Majesty.

“As this day draws to its close, I know that my abiding memory of it will be, not only the solemnity and beauty of the ceremony, but the inspiration of your loyalty and affection.”

From The Queen’s Coronation speech, 2 June 1953

Princess Elizabeth became queen in 1952, when her father George VI died. The official coronation ceremony took place more than a year later, after the customary period of mourning. The event was a grand affair, held in Westminster Abbey and surrounded by all the pageantry that you would expect from a British coronation in an ever-changing world, we have shared 65 years with Her Majesty.

However, it has been The Queen’s unwavering commitment to her role and down-to-earth attitude that has won the admiration of the nation through the years. In her time as queen, Her Majesty has marked the silver, gold, diamond and in 2017, sapphire jubilees of her reign; the nation has celebrated with her each time.

At The Royal Mint we have struck every official United Kingdom coin of Her Majesty’s reign, including the coins that commemorated her coronation and jubilees. Now as we come together for another landmark event, the 65th anniversary of her coronation, we are celebrating with a mint mark on The Sovereign, the coin of the monarch.

The Sovereign of the new Elizabethan Age

Elizabeth II was officially proclaimed queen following the death of her father George VI in February 1952. However, she was not crowned until 2 June 1953, as it is traditional for the official coronation ceremony to take place after a time of mourning.

Thousands of people lined the streets to catch a glimpse of their young queen, while millions more watched the ceremony on television. It was at this time that The Sovereign made a welcome return, with The Royal Mint marking the historic occasion by striking a handful of Sovereign Proof sets. One of these commemorative sets was given to the Royal Collection.

This special striking heralded the return of The Sovereign. It was at this time that the highly-regarded gold coin was also struck as bullion, becoming the flagship coin of The Royal Mint, famous across the world as a symbol of quality, accuracy and a masterpiece of design. It was for this reason that The Sovereign was stockpiled as an emergency ransom fund by the military during the 1950s, in case of war in the Middle East.

The Sovereign of the new Elizabethan Age

Elizabeth II was officially proclaimed queen following the death of her father George VI in February 1952. However, she was not crowned until 2 June 1953, as it is traditional for the official coronation ceremony to take place after a time of mourning.

Thousands of people lined the streets to catch a glimpse of their young queen, while millions more watched the ceremony on television. It was at this time that The Sovereign made a welcome return, with The Royal Mint marking the historic occasion by striking a handful of Sovereign Proof sets. One of these commemorative sets was given to the Royal Collection.

This special striking heralded the return of The Sovereign. It was at this time that the highly-regarded gold coin was also struck as bullion, becoming the flagship coin of The Royal Mint, famous across the world as a symbol of quality, accuracy and a masterpiece of design. It was for this reason that The Sovereign was stockpiled as an emergency ransom fund by the military during the 1950s, in case of war in the Middle East.

Sign up to our newsletter

Receive updates about our products, services and offers by email

Thank you for subscribing!

{{Message}}

By entering your email address you are acknowledging that you are above the age of 16 and consent to receive emails about competitions, products, services, offers and news from The Royal Mint. For further information on how we look after your information and how you can withdraw your consent please see our Privacy Policy.

Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. We use cookies to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website. We do this by personalising content and ads and analysing use to allow us to improve our website. You can change your cookie settings at any time. If you continue without changing your settings, you accept our use of cookies as outlined in our Privacy Policy.